Married to Krampus - Marina Simcoe Page 0,59

I being together?”

“I don’t hate it.” She brushed aside a voluminous curl of her fur that had fallen over her forehead.

Huffing a breath, she plopped into the chair next to mine abruptly, in a not so dignified fashion this time.

“To be completely honest,” she said, “I might’ve had some personal, selfish reasons to oppose this. Grevar and I have a history. We used to be lovers...” She glanced my way. “He told you that, didn’t he?”

I nodded grimly.

“That ended when I accepted Ashir’s proposal over Grevar’s. However, even after my marriage, as Grevar’s friend, I remained the most important woman in his life. The idea of being replaced by someone else in that role was hard to accept at the beginning.”

“Well, that’s just...” I inhaled deeply, momentarily lost for words.

“I know. I said it was selfish.” She waved a hand. “You see, as a friend, I care about him maybe even more than when we were a couple. And when I first saw you... I didn’t believe you cared about him nearly as much.”

I moved to protest, but she stopped me with another hand gesture.

“You showed up at the ball, dressed in the latest fashion Grevar had paid for, sporting his treasured family jewelry, and showing no understanding of what you’ve got and no appreciation for any of it. At least I saw none. What I saw was a little human gold digger, spewing lies—”

“Okay, you know what, that’s enough!” I jumped up from my chair. “You’re entitled to your opinion and stuff, but I’ve no desire to listen to any more insults. And I don’t have to. Here, you’re in my house—”

“Exactly.” She smiled unexpectedly, placing her hand on my arm in a calming gesture. “This is your house, your family, and your husband. I have no doubts about any of that now. You care about his children, and I believe the two of you are truly in love. He deserves nothing less.”

I blinked at her then plopped back into my chair.

“And you saw all of that in the few minutes since you got here?”

She lifted a well-groomed eyebrow.

“I don’t need much longer than that, I know Grevar well enough to spot the difference in him in seconds. He doesn’t give affection easily. With him, it has to be earned, and you’ve obviously done that. And you... I see you’re really trying to make him happy, which is commendable. It makes me feel better about this whole thing.”

“Well, thanks.” I rolled a shoulder back awkwardly, unsure whether to be glad or annoyed by the praise I hadn’t asked for from her.

Shula continued meanwhile, “I know you don’t consider me a friend—”

“That title has to be earned, too,” I snapped.

“Right.” She lowered her head in consideration. “And earning it takes time. Meanwhile, I’d ask of you not to shut me out of your family life.”

I watched her face for any duplicity, however, her expression appeared sincere.

“Daisy, I know you have the power and probably the desire to close your home to me, after the way I’ve treated you. I’m asking you not to do that.”

“Why?”

“Well, I have no maternal feelings for the children I’ve given birth to. Babies are immediately taken away from their birth mothers to bond with their fathers. But I’m attached to Grevar’s boys. They are the children of one of my closest friends and are like nephews to me. I’m fond of them and enjoy watching them grow. I’d love to remain a part of their lives.”

I clasped my hands in my lap, thinking back to the way the boys greeted Shula when she’d arrived tonight. They certainly had some relationship with her, and I’d hate to deprive them of that.

“Okay, fine, let’s just keep things the way they are then,” I said. “You’ve said something you shouldn’t have, you’ve apologized for that, and I’ve accepted it. It’s all good now. As long as you treat me and my family with respect, you can remain the family friend that you are. Deal?”

I offered her my hand.

“Deal?” she stared at it confused.

“Yeah, well, let’s just shake on it.” I took her hand in mine, giving it a brief shake. “This means our verbal agreement is now sealed.”

“Interesting.” She squeezed my hand in response. “It’s a deal, then.”

“And while we’re at it,” I added, releasing her hand. “Putting in place some kind of a welcoming program for the human women coming to Voran is a great idea. Moving planets can be overwhelming at first.”

She nodded slowly, with a